Shelf impact

Authentic luxury-brand soap Yardley of London has launched a line of pure-vegetable, boutique-inspired soaps and is marketing them in mass-merchandise stores. The 100 percent biodegradable and recyclable packaging is a mix of old and new-form and fancy.

Detailed botanical illustrations bring a classic English feel to each carton, but contemporary typography keeps the look fresh. Each panel features a wrapped band print reminiscent of pricier brands to add emphasis to the Yardley brand story.

Lornamead Brands worked with design firm Little Big Brands to bring the package designs to life. Each package includes a surprise inside the carton. The illustration on the exterior repeats on the inside, and a message under the top flap encourages consumers to “Energize your soul” (Honeysuckle Citrus soap variety), “Bathe yourself in tranquility” (Almond Milk), or “Wash your cares away” (Lavender Wisteria).

“Now, more than ever, today’s customers are looking for healthy ingredients in their bath- and skin-care products, but do not want to sacrifice quality or aesthetics,” says Deidre Williams, skin care marketing director at Lornamead. “With Yardley, there is no compromise. You get a wonderfully luxurious product in a lush, beautiful package, and it’s truly affordable.”

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Yardley’s new packaging creates disruption in the soap aisle by celebrating the beauty of nature, a departure from the more clinical-looking packaging of other soap brands. The result is packaging that fulfills Lornamead’s goal for the brand—product and packaging that work in harmony to awaken all of the senses.

Research: Packaging factors
into toy purchase decisions

Seventy percent of toy purchases are planned, with the first decision consumers make being where to shop. However, for the 30% of toy purchases that are spontaneous, eye-catching packaging and product display influence the buying decision.

Those were the conclusions highlighted in “Toy Purchase Decisions,” a new report from market research company The NPD Group . The report was based on feedback from more than 2,300 respondents in a pre-identified sample of toy purchasers. The online survey was conducted June 2-9, 2009.

The report finds that more than 75% of toy shoppers who made planned purchases knew where they wanted to shop. Though 90% of these retailer-driven shoppers actually made the purchase where they originally planned, when asked what they would have done if the toy they planned on purchasing had not been available, more than 40% said they would have looked for the same product in a different store.

Of the unplanned purchases, nearly two-thirds were influenced by an item-related factor. The primary reason was a child requesting a specific toy. But attractive packaging and an effective product display also were strong factors inducing purchase.

Packaging that enables consumers to interact with a product also is a more critical factor in toys than for some other categories; 78% of shoppers in the study say they prefer to purchase in stores rather than online because they want the ability to see and interact with the products prior to purchase

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Analysis of the results also shows that price point plays a significant role in making unplanned purchases, because the two categories with the most unplanned purchases also have the lowest average retail prices.

Toy-brand managers examining the value equation between product price and package quality also should know this: 70% of consumers say they have a price in mind when toy-shopping. Then they seek products that meet their price criteria.

“As we head into the critical holiday season, during which approximately 50 percent of annual toy revenues are generated, it’s important for manufacturers and retailers to understand just what it is that drives toy purchase decisions among parents and gift-givers,” says Anita Frazier, industry analyst for The NPD Group.